


Flintham university au

by Navy_Blue



Category: Black Sails
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dialogue Heavy, M/M, Swearing, anne bonny/max (mentioned) - Freeform, i'm trying to fix it, maybe for the first chapter
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-10
Updated: 2017-11-10
Packaged: 2019-01-31 14:24:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,344
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12683709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Navy_Blue/pseuds/Navy_Blue
Summary: Thomas and James get to know each other after a mildly awkward first encounter in the library





	Flintham university au

**Author's Note:**

> This is basically: I am gay, at uni, tragically single, and prepared to live vicariously though these characters. Will I finish this fic? Probably not.

Thomas walked into the library, feeling pleased with himself, like he’d won a small victory over the institution that had all but ruined his life for the past two years. He’d found the spot. That coveted place to study, away from the crowds of freshers and grumpy librarians. In the far corner of the third floor, behind a row of dusty bookshelves containing journals that had long since been digitised, there was a small table with a view over the playing fields that just caught the evening light. He didn’t think anyone else knew of its existence and had even caught himself once or twice checking behind him before slipping behind the shelves just to make sure no one did find it. He rode the creaky lift up and made his way across the floor. It was nearing four in the afternoon and there were groups crowing round nearly every table. Still, his table would be quiet and empty…

Rounding the side of the shelf, however, he saw there was someone already there. He frowned. He didn’t recognise the boy, so joining him at the small table would seem strange, but glancing over his shoulder, he saw fee other free seats.

The boy removed his earphones. “You can sit, if you want” he said, shuffling his laptop to one side of the table, barely looking up at Thomas.

“Right, yes.” Thomas sounded more annoyed than he had meant to, but it didn’t matter; the boy had already replaced his earphones and was typing away.

He sat down on the chair on the other side of the table, pausing to glance at his new study-buddy. _Well, maybe he won’t come back to this spot_ , Thomas thought hopefully. He opened his laptop and found the right chapter in his textbook and began to read. He found himself looking up at the boy opposite, noticing how the light from the setting sun lit up the copper strands in the boy’s hair and how his bright green eyes narrowed slightly whenever he had to reread something. Thomas realised he himself had reread the same few lines a dozen times between glances. The boy was distracting to say the least. He had small freckles across his nose, they were quite endearing actually-

“Can I help you?” The boy asked suddenly.

Thomas looked down at the textbook, blushing furiously, “What? No, I’m ok thanks.”

“Right, it’s just you’ve been staring at me for a few minutes and I was wondering if I have something on my face.”

“Oh no, you don’t.” _Cute freckles._

“Ok, so?”

 _So? So what? So, I was looking at your face because it’s kinda pretty?_ “Uh, I’m Thomas, Thomas Hamilton” he blurted out. It was better than any explanation he could offer.

“Right, Thomas. James Flint. Better get back to work I guess?” And James stared at his laptop again.

“Yes.” _Oh, thank god, he's letting it go._

They sat in what Thomas felt to be mildly uncomfortable silence for a while. He noticed that James looking up at him every so often. _Wait is he checking me out. No he’s obviously not- wait, well maybe?_

“Can I help you?” He resisted the urge to smirk, the embarrassment from the earlier conversation still fresh on him mind.

“I recognise you, I’m sure I’ve seen you somewhere. What do you study?” James was frowning slightly, as if he was having to reread Thomas a few times.

“English Lit and Spanish. You?”

“Politics, but I did a module from the English department last year, that’s probably it.”

“Huh, which one.” _Oh please be that goddamn queer theory one_ , Thomas couldn’t help but think. He’d hated the lecturer, but he’d met most of his current group of friends through the course. Queer themed modules typically attracted a fair few queer students; his Spanish literature module on the topic was full of people he’d seen hanging around the LGBT society meeting. Not James though.

“Queer theory and the role of language, or something like that.”

_Well that’s one point in the not-straight column._

“Yeah I took that too! So, what made you choose that when you study politics?”

“Well it’s just something I’m interested in, and last year we were allowed to pick a module outside of politics so, yeah. You?”

_‘Interested in’? In-fucking-conclusive. Maybe he’s just socially conscious. Maybe be less subtle?_

“I’m gay,” - _Nicely done_ \- “and I study literature, so know. Why not do both?”

“Fair enough.” And much to Thomas's dismay, James put his earphones back in.

 _Right, time to figure this out._ He opened Facebook and searched ‘James Flint’. The boy opposite him was the first person to appear. There was nothing about his profile to suggest anything, except a few mutual friends Thomas had only known from the LGBT Society. Oh well. He wasn’t sure why it mattered but he couldn’t help but feel a little deflated.

Somewhere in the distance a bell rang, signalling the end of classes for the day and Thomas took it as his queue to leave.

As he walked back to his flat he heard a notification ping and looked at his phone.

Friend request accepted.

Oh god no, he must have clicked it when he was looking at James’s profile. A wave of humiliation passed over him, but only for a moment, as then he checked his inbox.

JF: Bi the way… I’m not straight

 

 

“Wait, he said what?” Anne grinned as Thomas told her of his library encounter.

“Yeah, I know!”

“Well, what did you say?”

“I mean, I haven’t yet-“ He was going to explain but Max came into the living room looking horrified. 

“Thomas! For goodness sake’s, talk to the boy!”

“What if he doesn’t want me to. I mean, I made a little bit of a fool of myself-“

“He didn’t have to send you a message,” she sat down next to Max, “or even accept you’re creepy friend request-“

“It was not creepy, it was accidental!” 

“Shh, look I bet he wouldn’t say no if you just replied at least.”

“But what do I say?”

“Ask him to study with you? I don’t know I’m not a relationship guru. I’ve got a date planned for Max tomorrow and Jack is away with the sailing club so tell him the flat’s empty.” She raised her eyebrows at him.

“Seems a bit much, Max-“

“Wait you have?” Anne turned to her girlfriend, “Where? When?”

“Ah you wait, dear.”

 

 

Thomas retreated to his room, away from the excited voices of Max and Anne discussing their plans for the next day. He rolled his eyes, _lucky them._

He stared at his phone. Realistically, he would never see this guy again, so what could possibly be the harm in sending him a message. But, what if James was just being nice, what if he made a fool of himself again.

He typed out a message:

TH: Hello, nice meeting you, again, possibly. Would you like to study together again some time?

 _Ugh too many agains_. He reworded it a few times, but it didn’t sound right. In the end he took a deep breath and pressed send anyway. If he was going to sound like an idiot, so be it.

The reply came a few moments later.

JF: Sure, with actual studying this time, not just looking at each other’s faces lmao

Thomas blushed. How did this guy sound so at ease? He didn’t sound like he was freaking out in his room too. There was a knock on his door and Max walked in.“Ooh are you actually talking to library guy?” She asked, taking the phone from Thomas. 

“Yeah. Oh I don’t know what to say next.” Thomas replied. 

She paused and then tapped out a message.

“Woah, wait, don’t send it ‘till I’ve had a look!”

“Sorry dear, too late.” And she dropped the phone in his lap with a grin.

TH: Can’t make any promises about that ;)

“A fucking winky face Max? Who does that?”

“You, apparently.” He heard Max laugh from the kitchen.

_Fuck._

**Author's Note:**

> Feel free to leave kudos or a comment. Or if you really enjoyed it give a student a coffee: http://ko-fi.com/navyblue


End file.
